An 18-year-old Norfolk man is headed to prison after police found an illegal machine gun and other firearms during a routine traffic stop last fall.
Yakaem Jordan-Woodard was sentenced in August to serve two years behind bars, with another four years suspended, after pleading guilty to possessing a machine gun and carrying a concealed weapon.
The case started on October 21, 2024, when a Norfolk police officer pulled over a car with expired temporary tags on 25th Street. The officer noticed Jordan-Woodard, sitting in the back seat, stuffing something into a seatback pocket. When asked what he was hiding, he pulled out an extended magazine loaded with ammunition.
Things escalated when backup officers arrived. A search of the car turned up a Draco AK-style pistol and a Glock 22 handgun—both with extended magazines. But what made the case especially serious was a Glock switch, also known as an auto sear. This small but powerful device converts a semi-automatic handgun into a fully automatic weapon. Under both state and federal law, that qualifies it as a machine gun.
At the time, Jordan-Woodard had just turned 18 and was already wanted on juvenile detention orders.
He later agreed to plead guilty to felony possession of a machine gun and misdemeanor possession of a concealed firearm. A separate charge related to the auto sear was dropped as part of the plea deal. There were no specific sentencing guidelines for his charges, so Judge Jennifer L. Fuschetti had broad discretion in deciding his punishment.
On August 15, Judge Fuschetti handed down the two-year prison sentence, followed by three years of supervised probation and uniform good behavior. If he complies, the remaining four years of his sentence will stay suspended.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi put it plainly:
“Illegal automatic weapons have no place in our streets and neighborhoods. While the responsible bearing of arms is a constitutional right, we must hold accountable the people who possess illegal and dangerous guns.”